Posted on 04/14/2012 7:08:22 PM PDT by Engraved-on-His-hands
Sorry for the vanity, but, due to the unpleasant situation in which Mitt Romney is the favorite for the Republican Party nomination for President, I thought that exploring other options might be an appropriate topic. While Newt Gingrich is still in the running for the Republican nod, his chances do not appear to be good. Although not giving up entirely on him at this point, I thought that exploring third party options might be helpful as a fallback plan. (Caveat: I am not an expert on the parties discussed.)
There are at least 53 political parties in the United States. Apart from the Democrat and Republican parties, there are three others with occasional minor national significance: the Constitution Party, the Libertarian Party, and the Green Party. Of the remaining 48 parties, there are five that are national parties that have a conservative foundation. For the purpose of this post, I will not look at the libertarian parties, nor will I consider those that are moderate or more left-wing in their views.
Apart from the Constitution Party, the five national conservative parties are the following:
America First Party
America's Party
American Party
Christian Liberty Party
Independent American Party
Of these five, the America First Party, the Christian Liberty Party, and the American Party appear to be either inactive or so miniscule in activity and efforts that they might be considered inactive for all practical purposes. The Independent American Party and America’s Party appear to be the most active. However, I could not find any source indicating that the Independent American Party intends to have a nominee for President in 2012.
This leaves the Constitution Party and America’s Party as the conservative third party options.
The Constitution Party holds its nominating convention this coming Wednesday through Saturday in Nashville. The favorite for the nomination at this point appears to be Virgil Goode, former congressman from Virginia, although there is a good bit of controversy and dissension regarding his nomination.
America’s Party has chosen Tom Hoefling as its nominee. Tom posts on FreeRepublic as Eternal Vigilance. (Note: I have been a long-time fan of Tom’s posts.)
We should have a better grasp of the Constitution Party after their convention in a few days. If they nominate a suitable conservative who can unite their party, their stock should rise. If they fail, whether this provides an opening for an improved status for America’s Party this year remains to be seen.
I am not suggesting that either the Constitution Party or America’s Party will nominate the next President of the United States. However, as an ardent social conservative, I believe that neither the Republicans or Democrats have left social conservatives with a real option this year (assuming that Romney is the Republican nominee instead of Newt). Consider voting for a third party a protest vote if you will. Criticize it if you will. Each of us must do what we think is right and best. I'm not trying to create controversy with this post. I'm just trying to present information to those who might be interested.
Here are the websites for the two primary third party options discussed:
www.constitutionparty.com
www.selfgovernment.us
Thanks.
Obama has 38 czars. Bush Jr. had 33. Reagan had 1 (drug czar).
The Tea Party was the right idea. We need to get back to Reagan-style conservatism or this country is doomed. Romney winning most likely delays and complicates that goal more than Obama winning does. Our quickest way to achieving our goal is to take over the Republican party from the inside. How can that be done when they can run around for years talking about how their hand-picked RINO Romney has been “successful?”
Let’s keep in mind that RINO Nicole Wallace voted for Obama because she didn’t like Palin. If the RINOs are free to abstain from voting for the Republican candidate, then I sure as hell can as well. But I won’t be voting for Obama. My vote is a statement and it won’t be putting the stamp of approval on either Obamney.
He marched around repeating to the country: "No New Taxes." Then, the Dem's talked to him and said we 'really do need new revenue' and then passed a tax hike and Bush signed it, NOT RELUCTENTLY, saying he saved the country. The next day, every Democrat in Congress who could find a mic and TV camera, screaming "BUSH LIED AND RAISED TAXES....BUSH LIED...BUSH LIED....WE TOLD YOU HE WOULD." And, the American people said to themselves (and the ballot box): "Bush lied and raised taxes." Goodbye George...hello Clinton.
And, you know what??? BUSH LIED !!
You just aren’t going to put the blame on the GOP-e, where it belongs, are you?
When they get pushed into running a conservative, they win. When they run a RINO they lose.
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I just made the comment that voting for Ross Perot was one of the worst mistakes of my life and it was because they gave us the Clintons for life. But, may I remind you that George H. W. Bush and his boy George W. were both friggin’ RINOs and they won their Elections. W won twice. So, quit echoing Rush. Think for yourself.
Anywhere between 60-75% of the American public despises Obamacare, and yet the R’s think the only electable R candidate is the one who first did to Massachusetts what Obama is trying to shove down our throats.
Unreal. We have an issue where we’ve got that kind of bi-partisan consensus in the general public and we’re gonna throw it away.
Unreal.
Gingrich had his voters split with other candidates, had the GOP-e against him from day one, and had the GOP-e break every rule and law in the book to keep him off ballots, keep him from getting proportional votes, etc.
Like Winston Churchill said, “All we have to fear is fear itself”.
A woman called into the Bill Bennett show the other day after Santorum withdrew who sounded like she was almost or might have been in tears over the prospect that Romney would be the nominee. She was halfheartedly asking Bennett for some assurance that Romney was pro-life. He basically tried to claim he’s made a sincere flip-flop to the pro-life said.
At any rate, people who think Romney can win this need to realize this is not the climate for a successful Republican candidate. When the base is revolting on the internet and seemingly in tears out there on conservative radio call-in shows, it’s time for people to wake up. Stop Romney at the convention through any non-violent means necessary or you’re going to lose the election.
Under our political system a protest vote is a scream in a vacuum. It accomplishes nothing, in parliamentary systems it has value. Our only meaningful choice will be a Republican or Democrat. One of those two will win, nobody else. In the long run, your stated goals will be better achieved if you resist the third party protest vote. Take Rick Santorum for example. He fought the good fight, and realized he was not going to make it to the finish line. He accepted this fact, and dropped out. Now he will have an influence on the direction of the party. He proved he has a following and he is a force to be reckoned with and listened to, that is politics. Political change in the United States is a marathon, not a sprint. As I see it, Obama’s only hope is that enough voters on our side play the protest card. It might be enough to push him over. If we start swinging at each other instead of the Democrats, than we will have four more years of Obama, and maybe Speaker Pelosi also. That’s a nightmare in my book.
No he's not. Just Romney, Gingrich and Paul.
Because they told the audience they had to act like mannequins.
Just more manipulation by the stupid R’s. All the more reason to despise them.
Oh, please, and he did fine in the February one, right? And every one before that? Look at how abysmally Romney did in the South Carolina debates when he stuttered and stammered about releasing his taxes. All we can look at is an average success rate. Newt has the best one.
“Like Winston Churchill said, “All we have to fear is fear itself”.”
Churchill??? It was “Uncle” Joe Stalin’s best buddy FDR who said that.
The primaries aren’t over yet, thankyouverymuch. And now it’s down to two.
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Yep; it’s David and Goliath all over again. Goliath with all the money and Delegates and David with nothing but his sling and 5 stones (Ideas, Intellect, Intricacy, Intrepidity and Indebtedness.) Looks like this Round is going to Goliath.
YOUR job is to get elected to be a PCP at the County level (or whatever they call the GOP workers)....and then get elected to be a delegate to the CONVENTION....all votes go THRU the GOP....third party will NOT work....but, infiltrating the GOP with the RIGHT kind of politico’s WILL...but, too many here and elsewhere don’t understand that.
WE NEED A NEW SECOND PARTY!!!!
There should be an effort to organize for a convention on the capital mall to pick a real conservative.
A big event that the media cannot ignore.
A revolt event of sorts. A guillotine party that will keep away the establishment icons and allow real Americans to apply for the position.
Like Winston Churchill said, “All we have to fear is fear itself”.
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OMG! You’re kidding; right?
When we left the GOP four years ago, when it became apparent they were going to nominate John Judas McCain, we explored the idea of joining forces with the Constitution Party. I spent two months of my life doing that. To make a long story short, there was no way. Without delving into all the problems we found there, suffice it to say that we were a poor match with their isolationist views on foreign policy and national defense. They were, and are, overwhelmingly a Ron Paul-friendly party, and we're not isolationists or Libertarians. We're moral conservatives who have always advocated a Reaganite peace through strength foreign policy.
So, the day after their convention we founded America's Independent Party, which was subsequently re-titled as America's Party.
A few important links:
America's Party National Committee
Affiliate with America's Party
America's Party Leadership Pledge
America's Party News - Committees of Correspondence
If anyone would like to talk with me personally about what we're trying to accomplish, they can email me at tomhoefling@gmail.com and I will be in touch.
Or, they can come on one of our national America's Summit conference calls which are held twice weekly. That way they can meet and talk to many of our state leaders from across the country as well.
For once I won't be moderating the call this coming Tuesday night, though. My oldest son Matt flies in that evening, and I haven't seen him since before he left for his tour in Iraq.
Have a great evening!
Oh please...
He won 2 state primaries. That’s it.
Many of the remaining states are winner-take-all. He has been getting between 7 and 14% in most of the primaries. Which remaining states is he going to win substantially?
He has 136 delegates; Romney has 666. Even if Santorum gave him his, he would still be nearly 100 behind Romney.
Romney needs about 500 more. Gingrich needs MORE than 1000.
Thanks for the input!
“YOUR job is to get elected to be a PCP at the County level (or whatever they call the GOP workers)....and then get elected to be a delegate to the CONVENTION....all votes go THRU the GOP....third party will NOT work....but, infiltrating the GOP with the RIGHT kind of politico’s WILL...but, too many here and elsewhere don’t understand that.”
Nope, tried and true statement, but has now failed.
We are beyond the point of return to that.
too many here and elsewhere don’t understand that.
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They may or may not understand it. But, it’s awfully hard to be a Delegate to the National Convention. I got to attend the 1988 Convention in New Orleans but not as a Delegate. But, because I was a GOP District Chair of one of the Congressional Districts in the State I was living in then, I got a guest pass. The GOP-Elite pretty well control the Convention. That’s why a Brokered Convention would have ended up with Romney as the nominee.
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